


Twenty Candles

by SymphonyWizard



Series: Mrs. Sullivan Kent [3]
Category: Smallville
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-28 16:22:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10136450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SymphonyWizard/pseuds/SymphonyWizard
Summary: Despite the title, this has no similarity to "Sixteen Candle." May John Hughes rest in peace.  It's Chloe's twentieth birthday, though she has misplaced something very important to her and she needs a little convincing to get back into a party mood.Set season six-ish though mixed with quite a bit of AU





	1. Chapter 1

I wake up to sunshine on my face.  I stretch the sleep out of my body.  I whimper slightly at the empty space beside me on the bed.  Clark and I have been alternating whose bed we shared and, well this week, much to my reluctance, Clark insisted that we sleep in our own beds.  It's my twentieth birthday and my apartment above the Talon feels weirdly empty without Clark.  Plus Lois is "spending the night" with Oliver.  So, yes, my apartment feels _very_  empty.  

No doubt everybody--or at least Lois and Clark--are planning another "surprise" birthday party for me.  I'm not sure if I am too excited for any more surprise birthdays.  After what happened at my eighteenth birthday party, being possessed by witches, and poor Clark embarrassing himself with that recruiter, I'm not sure I can handle more craziness.  Plus, I am not even sure if Lana will come to celebrate my birthday.  Ever since she and Lex hit it off, Lana has barely come out of the Luthor Mansion.  It's like she's a willing captive of the follicly challenged billionaire.

I sit up and shove some of my hair out of my eyes.  I swing my legs over the side of the bed and my feet meet the cold ground.  Feeling caffeine-deprived as I always do in the mornings, I get up and I trudge over to the coffeemaker.  I fill the pot with water put coffee grounds into the machine and I painstakingly count the minutes for my coffee to be ready.  

I walk to the bathroom and inspect my reflection in the mirror.  My hair's a mess.  Nothing a bit of shampoo, some conditioner and a good brushing can't handle.  Once again, I wish Clark was here with me right now.  He's really good with a shower sponge.  Besides, even if he wasn't, it's my birthday and a girl has her demands.  I'll get my way with him one way or another before the day's out.  Even if I have to strap him down with kryptonite.  

Hold on a minute.  Something isn't right.  I touch my neck and it feels weird.  My necklace is missing.  Oh, my God, my engagement ring is missing!  I know I went to bed wearing it.  Maybe it slipped off somehow in the middle of the night.  I rush out of the bathroom and dig through the sheets while muttering "Where is it?" over and over again.  I basically turn the bed upside down before long and I don't find it. 

"Where could it be?" I wonder aloud.  Now I am really worried.  Over the next ten minutes or whatever, I carefully upend everything in the apartment and I don't find it.  My panic grows and I try to retrace my steps from the previous night.  

Lois and I had the evening to ourselves and we went bowling.  I made fun of her mercilessly at how bad she was at it.  She might have been raised among Navy Seals and other Army brats, but she sucked at more than a few innocent activities.  More impressive, at least to me, was that Clark and I have been secretly engaged for almost a year and Lois had never even noticed my engagement ring.  I became much more carefully since Lana discovered my engagement ring and I've resorted to keeping it in a a little locket that I honestly picked up at a flea market.  

Oh, my God did my ring fall out of my locket?  I know I had it when I came home.  Now the locket and the ring within it are missing.  I look around the apartment one more time, more frantically, and still nothing.  Nothing.

I lost my engagement ring.  I take a look around the apartment I turned upside down and large tears well up in my eyes.  I slump down in front of the couch and hug myself as I sob.

This'll be the worst birthday ever.  My engagement ring is gone.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe needs some convincing to get her to join her own birthday part.

I don't know how long I've been huddled in front of the couch crying, but somewhere during that time, I find myself curled on the ground wailing uncontrollably.  I loved that ring so much and Clark is going to be so angry with me!  No, he's not going to be angry with me.  He can use his X-ray vision and find it in some place that I might not have looked.  No, I searched every inch of this small apartment.  He'll get another engagement ring.  I don't want another engagement ring!  I want  _that_  one!  That solitaire diamond ring that he got for me from New York is the ring I wanted to wear until the day I die.  And I have lost it!

 

This will be my worst birthday ever.  Even Lois' god-awful rum cake won't be tolerable.  Maybe Mrs. Kent baked me something.  I'm not in the mood.  I knew exactly what I was going to wear today.  It is my birthday, but I wanted to impress Clark as well.  I know that I can impress Clark with anything I wear, but, up until a few minutes ago, I was feeling extremely happy.  I have Clark, Lois actually has a stable--and ridiculously rich and handsome--boyfriend, Mrs. Kent is handling Jonathan's Senate duties very well, Lex has Lana and he has no reason to bother anyone...it was all perfect and now I don't even think a Pulitzer with my name on it could put a smile on my face.

 

Eventually, I hear the door open.  

 

"Oh, my God did a tornado blow through here?" asks Lois, clearly horrified by my redecoration.  "Oh, Chloe," sounds like she has spotted me as her voice becomes gentler.  I hear her rush over and I see her feet as she kneels down to meet me.

 

"Chloe, what's the matter?" she asks.  

 

"I don't want to talk about it," I mutter.  "Go away."

 

Lois doesn't listen.  Instead she forces me into a sitting position and I let her cup my shoulders as I cry into her shoulder.  I am acutely aware that she is wearing the same outfit she wore last night and I can smell Ollie's expensive cologne on her.  

 

"Talk to me, Chlo," Lois encourages gently.  "It's your birthday; you're supposed to be happy, not weepy."

 

"Shut up and leave me alone," I moan, trying without success to push Lois away.  Lois doesn't budge.

 

"Start with why the apartment looks like Martha Stewart's worst nightmare," she orders.  

 

I realize there is no way out of this.  "You know my locket?"

 

"The one that you wear all the time?" asks Lois, teasingly.  "Yeah?"

 

Fresh massive tears roll down my cheeks.  "I lost it," I squeak.

 

"Oh, sweetie," croons Lois, pulling me into a hug and rocking me gently.  "And you've searched every inch of this apartment?"

 

"I even searched the vent ducts," I moan pitifully.  "I loved that locket.  And now without it, I feel naked.  We should just skip my birthday."

 

Lois pushes me away from her and gives me a horrified look.  I might as well have just told her that I plan to bomb the Daily Planet.  "Skip your birthday?" she repeats sounding scandalized.  "Chloe Sullivan, you are _not_  skipping your birthday."

 

I glare at her through my tear-stained eyes.  "My birthday, my rules."

 

She considers what I am saying for a minute.  "Sorry, I object," she says with a smile.  "You going turn that frown upside down, put some clothes on, and you are going to enjoy your birthday."

 

"I don't want to!" I scream stubbornly."

 

Lois rolls her eyes.  "Tell you what, cuz, I'll get you another locket, I'll even let you pick it out," promises Lois.  I love that she's not teasing me about it, but she doesn't understand.

 

"I don't want another one!" I whine. 

 

"Chloe, it's just a flea market necklace, what's so special about this one?"

 

"I-um, it has sentimental value for me; Clark and I had a great date that day," which is perfectly true, but I don't think I convinced Lois.  

 

"I believe you when you tell me that you had a great date with that farmboy, but," she searches my face a bit, "you're hiding something aren't you?"

 

I think my face drains of all color, but I scoff.  "I'm not hiding anything," I protest.

 

Lois blinks and cocks her head.  "You're actually trying to lie to me?  Come on, is there a little picture of you and Clark in that locket?"

 

"No."

 

"Did Clark threaten you with hellfire and slow death if you'd lost it?"

 

I gape at her, horrified.  "God, no!"  Oh, for heaven's sake.  "IT HAD MY ENGAGEMENT RING IN IT!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

 

Lois goes very, very quiet.  There, I said it.  Now my favorite cousin and closest living relative knows what, up to now, I have been skillfully hiding for so many months.  "Your what?" she asks very quietly, almost reverently.

 

"My engagement ring," I sob.

 

"Clark?"

 

I give her a look that I hope says, _Do you really have to ask that question?_

 

"You're engaged!" she squeals.  She laughs gleefully and pulls me back into a hug.  I laugh with her.  "I guess that flannel-clad dumbass actually does have a brain!  When did this happen?" 

 

"During Jonathan's victory party when he won Senate," I reply solemnly.  I'll never consider Clark proposing to me a sad memory, but it did turn into a sad evening.

 

"And you never told me?" Lois tries to sound angry, hurt even, but she is too happy.

 

"Well considering how the evening ended, we wanted to wait before we told everyone and we just never got around to it," I confess. 

 

"I'm happy for you...as long as I am your maid of honor."

 

"You really think I would get married and not name you maid of honor?"

 

"Not if you wanna live."

 

We laugh, but Clark would wrap crowbars around Lois' wrists and ankles before she caused me bodily harm.

 

"Oh, God, we need to find your locket," Lois realizes.  "You're sure that it is nowhere in this apartment."

 

"Positive," I mutter.

 

Lois breaks away from me again and looks serious.  "I promise we will find your locket and your engagement ring, but first, let's enjoy your birthday party."

 

Knowing she won't take "no" for an answer, I nod.  

 

"Okay, great, now let's get you cleaned up."


	3. Chapter Three

"What the hell are you wearing?" demands Lois, putting her hands on her hips.

I look down at myself.  I don't see anything wrong.  "Clothes," I reply simply.  After I got out of the shower, I just grabbed a few things.

"Chloe, your hair is not brushed, you have no makeup, and do you really expect me to let you walk out of here wearing sweatpants and Clark's old football jersey?"  I blush a little bit.  "Where's that dress you were planning on wearing today?  The one that you wouldn't even let me help you pick out or even see?"

"I don't feel like wearing it," I say flatly.

"Well, in that case, I am just going to have to call Clark and tell him to take back the awesome gifts that he has for you," says Lois with a heavy sigh.  She flips out her phone and begins dialing.

Actually excited for what Clark might have for me, I quickly speak up.  "Alright, alright, just don't call Clark!" I yell, alarmed.  

Lois slowly looks back at me.  She makes a show of keeping her phone close in case she has to threaten me again.  "Okay, cuz.  Now, get out of those clothes and put on that dress you were planning on wearing."

"Or what?" I challenge, actually braving a stance against my cousin.

"Or I put it on for you," Lois whispers.

My eyes widen.  I don't like the idea of Lois treating me like a barbie doll.  I rake my fingers through my hair as I grumble.  "Do want to see the dress before I put it on?" I offer defeatedly. 

A smile spreads across Lois's face again.  "Absolutely."

"Fine." I get up from the couch and walk over to the closet.  With my reporter's salary, I only get to buy so many nice clothes.  I spend most of my clothing money on blazers, pencil skirt suit-dresses, blouses and shoes.  If I buy dresses, I put some thought into it.  I open the closet and shove things aside until I find what I am looking for.  I carefully take it out of the closet and hold it out for Lois to see.  

"Oh, my God," breathes Lois, staring at the dress with large eyes.  "Why don't you want to wear it?"  

"Because without my locket, I feel like I'll look ugly in it," I explain morosely.

Lois rolls her eyes.  "Chloe, this dress is beautiful!  Okay, so we can't find your locket, but once Clark sees you in this dress, he'll literally be struck dumb the way he always does when he sees a girl wearing something gorgeous."

I think about that for a minute.  "Clark and I have been dating awhile and he is still a bit of a prude sometimes," I laugh.  "When I wore that two-piece swimsuit you bought me, he--as you predicted--got clumsy.  I think he tried to tell me that I looked pretty and all he could get out was 'petty' or nothing at all."  

Although, usually when I am wearing dresses, like at our Spring Formal and Senior Prom, he managed to compliment me without difficulty.  Maybe it's just when I am showing a considerable amount of skin.  I probably wouldn't have worn that black bikini Lois gave me if it weren't for Clark.  Somehow, his stumbling speech makes me feel special in the right situations because usually I am the only one that can really make him lose his composure and boost his confidence all at the same time.

"Well, Chlo, when he sees you wearing this, I bet you'll have him eating out of the palm of your hand," promises Lois with a wink.

I frown.  "I think I have already managed to do that once or twice under the glow of a fireplace."  A victorious smile spreads across my lips as her face melts and groans as she comprehends what I am suggesting.

"Oh, God, I am never going to get that image out of my head!" whines Lois.  "That's it, I'm not talking to you for the rest of the month."

"Yeah, you will," I argue indignantly.  "My birthday and I demand that you interact with me."

"You can't make me," Lois counters stubbornly, taking a seat on one of the stools by the table.

"Lois Lane, if you refuse to speak to me, then you can forget about being my maid of honor," I hiss coldly.  I fight back another victorious smile.

"You wouldn't," she whispers.

"I can and I will."

A freezing silence descends between us.  I stand up straight and put on my best cold look.  Finally, Lois gets up and rushes over to me, getting down on her knees and grabbing fistfuls of Clark's jersey.  "Fine, fine, I'll do anything you ask; just please, please let me be your maid of honor," she sobs submissively.

I pat her head.  "Good girl, Lois," I drawl.  "That's where you belong--down at my knees...right?"

"Absolutely!"  

I glance back up and smile.  "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go put on this dress and do my hair."

*******

"What do you think is taking them so long?" I ask.

"Clark, they're women, remember?" says Ollie lazily.  

I glance at him for a minute.  He does have a point.  Why do girls take so long?  How hard is it to find something to wear and do their hair and makeup?  I guess, thinking of it that way, it probably does take awhile.  Several times since I arrived with Lois, I found myself fighting the urge to listen in on what they're doing and peeking in as well.  I don't want to invade my own fiancee's privacy, but it is very hard to resist.  Come to think of it, how can anyone resist her?  How come it took me all of high school to look beyond the veil that was my crush for Lana to see Chloe?  To truly see her?  How can anyone resist those curves, her incandescent smile, her green eyes, her breasts that she doesn't really exploit much of anymore as she traded low-cut tops for cap-sleeved blouses, her hair...?

"Earth to Clark," I see a hand waving in front of my face.  Coming out of my daze, I find Oliver looking at me worriedly.

"You okay there, buddy?" he asks.

I stammer.  A sly grin spreads across my friend's face.  Now I'm just embarrassed.  I have enough trouble hiding my abilities, but I seem to be a lost cause for hiding more mundane things.  I can't even seem to hide how much I love Chloe, how much I am _devoted_  to her.  That's not a bad thing, is it?

Oliver puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it in a brotherly gesture.  "Don't sweat it, Boy Scout; our girlfriends are out of this world."

"I'm not sure I fully agree with that statement," I mutter.  Lois is just...she's _Lois_.  She's unbelievable, unlikable.  I hear the door to the Talon open and my ears perk up a little.  I turn my head around and smile.

"Lana."  I get up from my chair and meet her halfway.  She smiles and hugs me.  

"I didn't think you'd be coming to Chloe's birthday party," I say, stunned.  For a time, after I began dating Chloe, Lana and I barely spoke, but we've been slowly building our friendship back up.  Now that she is living with Lex, we barely see her anymore.

She shrugs.  "I felt that I needed to get out of the mansion for a little while," she confesses.  "Plus, I wouldn't my best friend's birthday for the world."

I smile and hug her again.  "Come on, let's go sit down."  She follows me to the table where everyone has been stacking Chloe's birthday presents.  Even though I thought it was a dumb idea, Lois insisted on getting party hats for everyone.  Oliver, unsurprisingly got one of the green ones and I got the blue one.  I hand Lana a party hat.

She gives me a questioning look.  

"Lois's idea; just wear it or she'll throw a fit," I explain.

Lana shakes her head with a smile as she puts on the purple party hat.  I do have to say that it compliments her white blouse quite nicely.

"EVERYBODY, THE BIRTHDAY GIRL HAS FINALLY COME OUT!" Lana and I whip our heads around and see Lois and Chloe at the top of the stairs.  As half the Talon erupts in a chorus of "Happy birthday's", my eyes lock with Chloe's.  She smiles down at me and all other sound seems muffled.  I look down at what she is wearing and just stare.  

She is wearing a blue satiny knee-length halter dress with the straps tying off at the neck.  The V neckline plunges down to her sternum and makes a gorgeous display of her chest and the hills of her breasts.  Her chrome ankle-strap high heels match the dress perfectly.  Her hair is pulled back slightly with a little blue hairpin and her bangs have that gorgeous sideswipe texture to them.  She's not wearing her locket, so I'm sure that her smile is forced to a certain degree, but she will be smiling before the day is out. 

"Happy birthday, my beautiful reporter," I speak softly and reverently, but I know she hears me.  


	4. Chapter Four

Seeing the way Clark looks at me, I know I made a good choice of clothing.  Of course, I don't need to put much effort in my appearance in order to impress the superpowered farmboy, but sometimes I like going out of my way to see the look Clark is giving me right now.  He stares up at me as if I am the only person in the Talon.  He is so mesmerized by me that I wonder if he would notice if someone stuck a piece of kryptonite in him.  And when he whispers, "Happy birthday, my beautiful reporter," there's nothing that can remove the smile on my face.  Even if my locket is missing.  

I am pulled back to the present when Lois gives my arm a tug.  I turn to her blankly and she just laughs knowingly.  I have to hide my face as I descend the stairs with her, hoping I can make it through my own birthday party without blushing.  Almost as soon as we reach the bottom of the stairs, Clark meets me and I yelp as he dips me dramatically and plants a kiss on my lips.  I ignore the whoops and catcalls as I return the kiss.  I don't know how, but I seem to be able to prompt a little bit of PDA out of Clark once in a while.  Maybe it's a superpower.  

When he finally releases me from the dramatic kiss--surprisingly to my annoyance--it takes me a minute for my brain to catch up.  When my vision overcomes its lust-fueled haze, I see Lois beaming at me out of the corner of my eye.  

"You look gorgeous," whispers Clark.  

Surprisingly, I blush and avert my eyes a little as a huge smile spreads across my face.  "Yeah?"  Okay, forget about the no-blushing-on-my-birthday rule.  "You cleaned up pretty well yourself," I say breathlessly, taking a minute to admire Clark's burgundy collared shirt and black pants.  No red jacket.  I also find myself mightily resisting the urge to unbutton his shirt a little further than the top one.  

"Um, excuse me, cake and presents _then_  swooning?" Clark and I give Lois an annoyed look.

"My birthday, my rules, remember?" I drawl.

Lois blinks a few times before stalking off to the kitchen with a grumble.  Glad I can savor a day's worth of bossing Lois around.

"Can I drop a semi on your cousin now?" asks Clark.

I gape at him in mock-horror.  "You may not!" I snap, though I stand on my toes and whisper silkily, "At least not yet." 

A devious grin spreads across Clark's lips.  "So, birthday girl, cake or presents first?"

"Coffee first?" I ask hopefully. 

A sly grin spreads across Clark's face and before I can ask, he says, "Somebody get the lights!" It's almost noon so it is bright and sunny out.  I watch as Lana and Ollie close the curtains and dim the lights.  I turn to the counter and just as I see Lois with a mug of coffee and a lit candle skillfully placed on top, I blush more than ever as the Talon begins singing "Happy Birthday."

I smile toothily as Clark ushers me to a table stacked high with presents and sits me down as Lois hands me the mug.  As the song comes to an end, cheers flood my ears.  

"Make a wish, Chlo," Clark urges sweetly.

 _What am I supposed to wish for?_ I wonder briefly.  I have everything I want.  Clark, a job at the _Daily Planet--_ although I'm off to a slow start being stuck in the basement...I smile.  I wish for a Pulitzer with my name on it.  I blow out the candle and the Talon applauds again.  I sip the almond mocha with extra whip appreciatively.  

"I hope you have more than just the one wish," says Ollie, standing beside Lois.  

I frown slightly, but then I look to the counter again and I see Martha Kent walk out of the kitchen with a large cake with--I count mentally--nineteen candles on it.  

Clark begins singing "Happy Birthday" again--much to my chagrin--and the Talon joins him once more.  Martha closes the distance and the round cake with white icing and "Happy Birthday, Chloe" in brown chocolate drizzle in front of me.  I suddenly realize how my I want to delve into it.  The Kents never disappoint in the kitchen, especially Martha.  As I'm prompted to make another wish, I look down at my left hand and I have to fight back a frown.  I wish I had my engagement ring.  I wish I could be wearing it on my finger instead of around my neck.  

I blow out the rest of my candles and I let Martha begin cutting into the chocolate cake.  As she does that, Lois offers me my first present.  Excited, I grab the poorly wrapped presents and tear them open.  They are a new pair of pearly white Pradas and a new watch.  The chrome elastic band watch I appreciate, as my old one was wearing out, but the shoes?  I give her a slight questioning look to which she just winks.  Not sure when I will wear them, but I have a feeling I'll know.  

Next, Lana gives me her presents.  It's the biggest box.  I tear it open and my eyes fall on a brand-new microwave.  The apartment's old microwave broke a few weeks ago and somehow I still manage to burn the easy stuff like ramen.  I assume Lex's money paid for it because it is a really fancy microwave.  I laugh and hug her.  

Even Ollie offers me a present.  Lois must have given him some advice, because when I open the present, I find an antique typewriter.  

"I figure my girlfriend's cousin could use something a bit classier than a laptop once in a while," he says when I look up at him.  I look at Clark and before I can stop myself, a giggle escapes my lips as I see a flicker of jealousy in his baby blues.  

"Oh, you're laughing at me?" he accuses.  "Fine, then I guess I'm going to have to take back the present _I_ have for you."  

Horrified, I look back at the last present on the table--the smallest present--and I snatch it away before he can grab it.  "Mine," I growl uncharacteristically. 

Clark gulps.  "Well then, open it." 

Heeding his prompt, I open the box and I let out a little gasp.  I gingerly take the silver bracelet set with a misty blue crystal out of the box. "Clark..." I breathe, as I slip it onto my wrist and inspect it every which way.

"Where'd you get that?" asks Lana, clearly as mesmerized as I am by the bracelet.

Clark takes a long to answer.  "It's um...it's not from around here," he says finally.  He and I exchange a look and I'm pretty sure I have an idea of where it came from.  

"I love it," I say in earnest as I grab a fistful of his shirt and drag him towards me so I can kiss him.

"Looks kinda weird," says Lois.

I break away from Clark and glance up at my cousin quizzically.  "That's why it's mine and not yours," I remind her sweetly.  I turn back to Clark.  "You said you had something else for me?"

Clark straightens up a bit. "I-um...uh, yeah.  This one I think you'll love."  I watch as he pushes his chair back and I hear a collective hush around the Talon as he descends to one knee and pulls out a small velvet box.  I don't want--before I can finish that thought, he opens it and I see my missing solitaire daimond ring. 

"Chloe Anne Sullivan," he began shakily, but confidently, "will you marry me?"

I am angry with him.  I want to strangle him.  Wait, no that won't work.  I want to take a baseball, line it with kryptonite and beat him with it.  I want to scream _DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH A FEW HOURS AGO!_ or something to convey how crazy I went not knowing where that was.  But then, I take a second to look at the faces around me.

Lana is smiling, though it does seem a little forced.  She was Clark's first crush after all.

Martha is standing frozen a few feet away from the table with a slice of cake I assume she was bringing over to me.  Her free hand is covering her mouth while tears glitter in her eyes.  

Lois is beaming.  Wait was she a part of this?  Was this one of the "awesome presents" she was talking about?  Now I have to kill two people I love.

A shutter clicks and I see my colleague and friend Jimmy Olsen.  He's as surprised by this turn of events as everyone else.  

I finally look back at Clark.  He already knows my answer, but no one else does.  He told me months ago that he wanted to propose to me properly and after awhile, I quit wondering when and how he was going to do it.  And I must say he has done it very well.

Tears of joy flood my eyes as I lift my hand and give it to Clark.  "Yes, yes, please yes!"  The coffee shop erupts in applause and I yelp as Clark lifts me up from my chair and swings me around a couple of times.  

When he sets me back down, he slips the ring onto my finger and leans in close as he whispers, "Now it's right where it belongs.  

"Hey, Chloe, C.K., can I...?" I look up and see Jimmy with his camera.  Clark and I smile for him as the flash goes off.  "I'll have a photo album ready for you guys before the week's out," he promises.

"Thanks, Jimmy," I say.  Before long, Martha comes into view and regards us both tearfully.  She shakes her head as she covers her mouth.

"Mom?" asks Clark worriedly, breaking away from me and clutching her shoulders.  "What's wrong?"

Martha shakes her head again.  "It's just...I'm so happy for you two," she whispers.  She pulls Clark down into a hug and beckons me to join.  I accept the invitation and join them.

"Jonathan would be proud of you--of both of you," says Martha.  The three of us share a bittersweet smile.  As we embrace, I look at my pile of presents.  The white shoes.  I look from them to Lois.  She winks at me again.  

 _For your wedding_ , she mouths.  I smile back at her.  I turn back and look at Clark.  He smiles down at me.  

"Best birthday ever," I say softly.  Martha breaks away from us and Clark kisses me.  I kiss him back and for the first time, I am truly starting to feel like I am his.  And in a few weeks or months...it will be set in stone.

"Happy birthday, my beautiful reporter," whispers Clark when he breaks away from me again.  We just stare deeply into each other's eyes.  It should be illegal to love a man the way I love Clark.  From the moment I met him, my heart slowly grew until it became too big to fit in my chest.  I offered it to Clark a long time ago and he has finally taken it.  

I want to share my life with him.  

I plan to share the rest of my birthdays with him.


End file.
